Inverted, Positive Sketch of Markarian’s Chain
Move mouse over image to view labels
Click for larger version.
Original Negative Pencil Sketch
Observation Notes
Markarian’s Chain is a wonder to behold. Island universe after island universe trail one another through a slice of sky little more than 2 degrees across. In January of 2010, I spent two and a half hours scouring the chain and its surroundings to gather as many galaxies as I could find. Before heading out, I printed a chart of the area and traced 30 of the field stars onto a 9 x 12 inch sheet of bristol card stock. At the telescope, I worked within that framework, sweeping the field at low and high power, to add remaining field stars, and a graceful trail and spatter of 27 galaxies.
| Subject | Markarian’s Chain and Surroundings: IC 3258, M84, M86, M87, M88, NGC 4351, NGC 4377, NGC 4387, NGC 4388, NGC 4402, NGC 4413, NGC 4425, NGC 4431, NGC 4435, NGC 4438, NGC 4440, NGC 4458, NGC 4461, NGC 4459, NGC 4468, NGC 4473, NGC 4474, NGC 4476, NGC 4477, NGC 4478, NGC 4479, NGC 4506 |
| Classification | Galaxy Cluster IC 3258: (IB(s)mP M84: E1 M86: E3 M87: E M88: Sb/Sc I NGC 4351: SB(rs)abP NGC 4377: SA0- NGC 4387: E NGC 4388: SA(s)b:sp II NGC 4402: Sbsp NGC 4413: SBb NGC 4425: S0-a NGC 4431: S0 NGC 4435: SB0 NGC 4438: S NGC 4440: SBa NGC 4458: E NGC 4461: S0 NGC 4459: S0 NGC 4468: E NGC 4473: E NGC 4474: S0 NGC 4476: S0 NGC 4477: SB0 NGC 4478: E NGC 4479: SB0 NGC 4506: SB |
| Position* | Coma Berenices and Virgo [RA 12 32 00 / Dec 14 24 55] to [RA 12 24 01.5 / Dec 12 12 14] IC 3258: 12 23 42.0 / +12 29 00 M84: 12 25 04.7 / +12 53 13 M86: 12 26 11.9 / +12 56 47 M87: 12 30 49.3 / +12 23 26 M88: 12 31 59.1 / +14 25 15 NGC 4351: 12 24 01.5 / +12 12 16 NGC 4377: 12 25 12.4 / +14 45 43 NGC 4387: 12 25 41.7 / +12 48 37 NGC 4388: 12 25 46.8 / +12 39 43 NGC 4402: 12 26 07.6 / +13 06 48 NGC 4413: 12 26 32.2 / +12 36 39 NGC 4425: 12 27 13.4 / +12 44 04 NGC 4431: 12 27 27.3 / +12 17 24 NGC 4435: 12 27 40.5 / +13 04 44 NGC 4438: 12 27 45.6 / +13 00 31 NGC 4440: 12 27 53.5 / +12 17 35 NGC 4458: 12 28 57.6 / +13 14 30 NGC 4461: 12 29 03.0 / +13 11 01 NGC 4459: 12 29 00.1 / +13 58 41 NGC 4468: 12 29 30.9 / +14 02 56 NGC 4473: 12 29 48.9 / +13 25 49 NGC 4474: 12 29 53.6 / +14 04 07 NGC 4476: 12 29 59.1 / +12 20 56 NGC 4477: 12 30 02.3 / +13 38 12 NGC 4478: 12 30 17.3 / +12 19 43 NGC 4479: 12 30 18.4 / +13 34 40 NGC 4506: 12 32 10.5 / +13 25 10 |
| Size* | Entire Field: 2.5° x 3° IC 3258: 1.6′ x 1.4′ M84: 6.5′ x 5.6′ (PA 135°) M86: 8.9′ x 5.8′ (PA 130°) M87: 8.3′ x 6.6′ M88: 6.9′ x 3.7′ (PA 140°) NGC 4351: 2.0′ x 1.3′ (PA 80°) NGC 4377: 1.7′ x 1.4′ (PA 177°) NGC 4387: 1.8′ x 1.1′ (PA 140°) NGC 4388: 5.6′ x 1.3′ (PA 92°) NGC 4402: 3.9′ x 1.1′ (PA 90°) NGC 4413: 2.3′ x 1.5′ (PA 60°) NGC 4425: 3.0′ x 1.0′ (PA 27°) NGC 4431: 1.7′ x 1.1′ (PA 177°) NGC 4435: 2.8′ x 2.0′ (PA 13°) NGC 4438: 8.5′ x 3.2′ (PA 27°) NGC 4440: 1.9′ x 1.5′ NGC 4458: 1.7′ x 1.6′ NGC 4461: 3.5′ x 1.4′ (PA 9°) NGC 4459: 3.8′ x 2.8′ (PA 110°) NGC 4468: 1.4′ x 1.1′ (PA 73°) NGC 4473: 4.5′ x 2.5′ (PA 100°) NGC 4474: 2.4′ x 1.4′ (PA 80°) NGC 4476: 1.7′ x 1.2′ (PA 25°) NGC 4477: 3.8′ x 3.5′ (PA 15°) NGC 4478: 1.9′ x 1.6′ (PA 140°) NGC 4479: 1.5′ x 1.3′ NGC 4506: 1.6′ x 1.1′ (PA 110°) |
| Magnitude* | Visual Magnitude (Surface Brightness): IC 3258: 13.1 (13.8) M84: 9.4 (13.3) M86: 9.0 (13.2) M87: 8.8 (13.1) M88: 9.7 (13.1) NGC 4351: 12.3 (13.2) NGC 4377: 11.9 (12.7) NGC 4387: 12.1 (12.8) NGC 4388: 11.3 (13.3) NGC 4402: 12.2 (13.6) NGC 4413: 12.3 (13.5) NGC 4425: 11.8 (12.9) NGC 4431: 12.9 (13.5) NGC 4435: 10.8 (12.5) NGC 4438: 10.0 (13.4) NGC 4440: 12.1 (13.1) NGC 4458: 12.1 (13.2) NGC 4461: 11.1 (12.8) NGC 4459: 10.4 (12.7) NGC 4468: 13.0 (13.3) NGC 4473: 10.1 (12.7) NGC 4474: 11.8 (13.0) NGC 4476: 12.1 (12.7) NGC 4477: 10.4 (13.1) NGC 4478: 11.3 (12.5) NGC 4479: 12.6 (13.2) NGC 4506: 12.9 (13.4) |
| Date/Time | JAN 15, 2010 – 2:00-4:30 AM (JAN 15, 2010 – 0900-1130 UT) |
| Observing Loc. | Cinder Hills Overlook, Sunset Crater National Monument, AZ |
| Instrument | Orion SkyQuest XT8 Dobsonian (203 mm dia./1200 mm F/L) |
| Eyepieces/Mag. | 32 mm Sirius Plossl (37.5X); Pentax XW10 (120X) |
| Conditions | Clear, calm, cool |
| Seeing | 5/10 |
| Transparency | Mag 7+ NELM |
| *Sources | NGCIC.org; DSS |